Only thing growing in small south facing garden plot is elephant garlic planted last spring.

Re: Current soil condition

Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:29 am

My current soil temp-frozen. We tied a 1954 record low of 20F last night.

Re: Current soil condition

Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:05 am

My soil condition is soupy.

Re: Current soil condition

Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:34 pm

mine could be plowed, but I'm letting the rye cover crop, grow,some more. (Hopefully, not to 6 feet, like 2 years ago, when it got too wet to plow, later in the season) Ed

Re: Current soil condition

Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:41 pm

Yes, Ed, let the rye suck the moisture out of the ground. Makes for better plowing. Returning the rye back to the soil returns a lot of organic matter to the soil and some of the moisture as well. Win-Win situation.

Re: Current soil condition

Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:36 pm

Bill Hudson wrote:Yes, Ed, let the rye suck the moisture out of the ground. Makes for better plowing. Returning the rye back to the soil returns a lot of organic matter to the soil and some of the moisture as well. Win-Win situation.

Bill, that's the plan. However, if it gets 6 feet tall, it becomes a "tangle, tangle" situation! Ed

Re: Current soil condition

Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:24 pm

It's not bad up here, and plowed last weekend until the clutch finally gave up the ghost. Soil rolled over nicely. I did notice that the soil doesn't have as much top soil as when I bought the place back in 95. I had sheep up until 3 years ago and this was a huge dairy goat farm for 45 years prior. I think the top soil gets blown off from plowing. Am near the Alantic Ocean and at 1 in the afternoon the ocean winds kick in big time. Being near the ocean helps besides hurting, ocean storms bring in plenty of sea rain...loaded with ocean minerals that are good for the soil. Going get a few truck loads of free cow manure and try and get the soil back to what it was...2' of top soil!

Re: Current soil condition

Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:54 pm

I hit the onion ground 1- pass 8" deep with the big tiller on the screamin' demon(not on 706 this year) and went to planting the 5'000 onion plants that we have on hand!---the rest of the gardens could be hit with the tiller, BUT tractor wont drive itself and I am on the creeper!Also need to be on the Allis C and IH drill to plant the Spring wheat, hulless oats, and robust barley, but cant do it all at the same time!---Hope the weather holds up so I can get this stuff in the ground first, then figure out what to plant next!

The neighbor saw and heard me in the garden last night with the tiller and today got his big unit out and worked 300 acres of corn ground!---ground in the garden worked up perfect,---maybe a little finer than it needed to be but---it is drying out mighty fast so we gotta get stuff planted before moisture is gone!--- I almost have my water bar done for the cub!--It's only job this year will be to knife in water and fertilizer mix on the garden!---the new cub will get the cultivator on it for the chicken corn and the David-Bradley will do the fine crop cultivation until crop gets big enough for the cub to do! thanks; sonny

Re: Current soil condition

Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:20 am

John *.?-!.* cub owner wrote:My soil condition is soupy.

I had not looked at my garden in 3 or 4 days, and in that time we have had a steady diet of sun and mild wind. I will be plowing gardens for myself and neighbors over the next couple days. Even going to try some early lettuce in my lettuce bed.

Re: Current soil condition

Re: Current soil condition

Sun Apr 07, 2013 6:24 pm

Plowed a spot, that is usually quite wet, today. Been dry and windy, for a week. Does wonders, at drying the soil! This area will have a couple of raised beds, for blackberries, and raspberries, and lawn, between them, for easy maintenance. The garden could be plowed, but I'm letting the rye cover crop, grow some more. (Deer are stealing some of it) Ed